Longleaf Flooring Wins Design Award

Longleaf Lumber’s reclaimed Factory Maple flooring has been awarded a 2016 Association of Retail Environments (ARE) prize for best retail flooring. This prestigious international award was presented to architect Bergmeyer Associates, Inc. at a March 22nd Las Vegas awards show.

The flooring, which is installed in a Plainville, MA bookstore owned by author Jeff Kinney and family, is laid throughout the new construction bookstore, café, and offices. The mixed-use bookstore, called ‘An Unlikely Story,’ also uses reclaimed Heart Pine wood beams, reclaimed American chestnut trim, reclaimed barn board, and reclaimed Heart Pine decking. The design team used reclaimed wood as a key component in their creation of this warm, inviting, and sustainable space. The building won two additional ARE awards for Hardline Specialty Store (25,000 s/f) and for Sustainability.

A.R.E. Design Awards are chosen each year from thousands of international applicants. The Longleaf Lumber flooring that won the award was salvaged from the Putnam Nail Company building in Dorchester, MA and was re-milled by Longleaf Lumber at our Berwick, Maine lumber mill. All of the flooring, which is also installed as stair tread material, is finished with Waterlox brand tung oil. This is a tremendous honor for an inspired bookstore, design team, and creative adventure. Congratulations to everyone who played a part!